Tension mechanism.



E. G. ROBESON.

TENSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 11193.4, 1910; 998,550. 1 Patented May 30,1911

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys E. G. ROBESON.

TENSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4,1910.

993,550. Patented May 30,1911.

I Annnventor Wi nesses Attorneys at a right angle to Fig. 1.

EDNA G. ROIBESON, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA TENSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,23

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDNA G. RoensoN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Tension Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a form of tension mechanism which is adapted for use in handling webs of any suitable material which are wound on rolls. The mechanism of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in tensioning rolls of paper on printing presses and the like, and it is also adapted for use in handling webs of cloth or other fabric or material.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form of tensioning mechanism, 0 which is adapted to be used in any connection wherein a web of any kind or character of material is fed frolna roll, and which is adapted to operate in a uniform manner under all the varying conditionsof practice.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scope of the claims without departinn from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification :-Figure. 1 is a side elevation showing a form of tension mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a viewxtaken Fig. 3 is a detail view. I

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawing.

' The reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of the framework of any type of machine which is intended to be used for feeding fabric or other material from a roll.

The reference numeral 2 indicates'a supooporting arm which is connected with the frame Work 1 and is intended, to carry the roll and the tensioning mechanism therefor. Pivotally connected with the supporting arms 2, on each side of the machine, is a lever 3'. The fulcrumbetween the lever 3 and the supporting arm 2 is indicated by the numeral 4. Fixed to the lever 3 in any suitable manner, intermediate its ends, is a dpendin member or plate 5 with the upper end of w ich is connected a boxing 6 into which is fitted the trunnion or shaft 7 of the roll 8 which carries the web to be placed under tension. Pivotally connected at 9 with the free end of the lever 3 is a socket .member 10 into WhlCl1lS threaded a rod 11.

The rod 11 at its upper end is threaded into a socket member 12 which is pivotally connected at 13 with a lever 14 fulcrumed at 15 upon any suitable bracket connected'with the machine frame. The fulcrunis 9 and 13 are so arranged as to produce as little friction as possible. The lever 14 is provided with an adjustable counter-balance or weight 15' adapted to be secured in position in any suitable manner such as by means of the. set screw 16. The fulcrum or rod 15 of the lever 14, extends transversely across the machine and at its opposite end it has fixed thereon a crank arm 17 with which is connected a turn buckle arrangement 18, similar to the turn buckle arrangement consisting of the threaded rod 11 and the socket members 1'0 and 12. At its lower end; the turn buckle 18 is" connected with the opposite lever 3 which carries the other trunnion or bearing of the roll 8 from which the web of material which is to be tensioned is bein unwound. The transversely extending re 15 and the turn buckles 18, serve to connect the opposite levers 3 properly with each other so as to equalize the action thereof. It will be apparent therefore that a single counter-balance weight 15 serves yieldingly to support'both of the lovers 3 and through said levers, to support both ends of the roll 8.

Thetensioning means acting on the roll 1 preferably includes an arm 20 which is rigidly connectcd with the downward extension ."or plate 5 of the lever 3. Fixed in any suitable manner to the outer end of the arm 20 is an upright or standard 21 which is secured in position upon the arm 20 preferably by means of the bolt 22 and nut 23. E ktending through the upper end of the standard or upright 21 and journaledat its inner end in any suitable manner in the plate 5 is a threaded rod 24 which is provided at its outer end with a hand wheel 25. This lobe understood that the threaded rod 24 is swiveled in the plate 5 and standard 21 so as to be capable of rotary but not endwise movement therein.

10 knuckle fitted in between 5 the brake member 27.

having a threaded connection at its lower end with the threaded rod 24, said members preferably being interfitted with each other as shown in Fig. 2 by forming one of said members with a pair of spaced threaded knuckles and the other of said members with a single said spaced knuckles. At their upper ends, each of the'brake members 26 and 27 is provided with an upstanding projection 28. a. The brake members 26 and 27 surround a band wheel 29 which is fixed in any suitable manner upon the shaft 7 of the roll 8. The pressure of the brake members 26 and 27 upon the periphery of the band wheel 29 places the proper tension upon the roll 1 so as to regulate the olf-feed-' ing of the web. Pivotally connected at 30 with the extension 28 of the brake member 27 is a. rod 31 which extends through an opening in the extension 28 of the brake member 26 and is threaded at its outer end as indicated at 32. Mounted upon the threaded portion 32 of the rod 31 is a hand wheel 33, Interposed between the hand wheel 33 and the extension28 of the brake member 26 is a coil spring 34. The action of the coil spring 34; is to throw the two yieldingly tobrake members 26 and 27 gether. The tension upon the roll or web of fabric is regulated by means of the hand wheel 33. In view of the fact that the ten- 35 sioning devices or brakes 2G and 27 are carried by the'plate 5 or lever 3 so as to always maintain the same relative position to the shaft 7 of the roll 1, it will be obvious that the question of gravity does not enter into the'regulation of the friction on the band wheel 29.

It is, however, intended to utilize the'variatlons 1n the weight of the roll to regulate the tension of the members 2t; and

27 so as to off-set the unavoidable variations in the friction between the. shaft 7 ofthe roll and the bearingv in which it is unwanted. The means for accomplishing this result preferably consists of a lever 35 which is f-nlcrumed at v36 upon the elrtension 28 of At its inner end the lever 35 is provided with an anti-friction roller 37 which bears against the inner face of the extension 28 of the brake member 26.

' At its outer or free end, the lever 35 lies in advance of, or in position to engage an adjusting screw 40 which is threaded through a stationary arm tlconnected with the machine frame in any suitable manner.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The roll of material is placed in the machine in any suitable manner. If it is. desired to adjust the shaft 7 of the roll longitudinally in ordcrto bring the roll into proper position in the machine, the hand wlmel 25 and threaded rod are manipulated so as to cause the brake members 26 and 27 always to register with the band wheel. 29 upon the shaft 7. In this way the braking devices are laterally adjustable to permit lateral adjust= viously adjusted, at the time the roll of material was placed. in the machine to exactly counter-balance the same. As soon as the weight 15 over-balances the roll 8, said roll rises slightly and the result is that the lever 35 comes into engagement with the adjusting screw 40. The continued upward movement upon the band of the roll 8 together with the band wheel 29 i and brake members 26 and 27 causes the lever to be rocked upon the brake member 27, whereupon the anti-friction roller 35 is pressed in the manner of a cam against the extension 28 of the brake member 26. The result is that the two brake. members are slightly separated against the tension of the spring 34. The friction upon the band wheel 29 is thus slightly decreased'and the roll of fabric or other material is permitted to be fed off with greater facility.

It is found in practice that a machine equipped with the tension mechanism .of the present invention operates in practically a uniform. manner. One of the reasons for this perhaps that when the roll is full and is thus large in diameter, that part of the web which is being drawn off of the roll is farther from the axis of the roll and thus acts on a. greater leverage and turns the roll with greater facility than is the case when the roll is nearly empty and is thus small in diameter. It is thus found in practice that as the roll decreases, the web which is being pulled oil of the periphery is acting constantly against a shorter leverage, and if the tension or friction on the roll remained uniform with the leverage constantly decreas- L ing the amount of power necessary to turn the roll would have to be increased. According to the present invention, as the roll decreases in diameter, so as to shorten the leverage on which the web acts, the tension of the friction devices is gradually decreased and thus the roll turns more easily as the leverage or diameter becomes smaller and uniform tension is thus secured on the Web. in using the present invention, the c0unterbalance mechanism automatically adjusts the tension as the roll decreases in weight, and thuscausesa uniform action of the machine. v

The device of the present invention is strong, simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly etlicient and practical in use. It is adapted to be used in placing tension on webs of any kind or character of material, such as paper, cloth or any other fabric or substance.

What is claimed as new is 1. Tension mechanism for'printin resses and the] like comprising a counteranced roll su port adapted to rise, tension devices movab e with the roll support, and stationary means cooperating with the tension means on the rising movement of the roll support, for loosening the tension devices.

'2. The combination of a movable counterbalance roll support, a roll carried'thereby and having a band wheel, tension devices engaging the periphery of said wheel, and means operated by the movement of said roll support for'eontrolling said tension devices.

3. The combination of a pair of levers having movable boxings, a roll carried by said boxings, means for counter-balancing said levers, a band wheel connected with said roll, tensioning devices engaging the periphery of said band wheel, and means operated by the movement of said levers for controlling said tension devices.

4. "The combination of a roll, movable boxings therefor, means for counter-balancing the boxings, a band wheel carried by said boxings, tension devices engaging said band wheel, and means operated by the movement 0 f said roll. for controlling said tension de- 5. The combination with a frame, a pair means for counter-balancing said levers,said

levers and roll being adapted to rise under the lightening of the roll, a pulley carried by said roll, a pair of brake members carried by one of said levers and engaging said pulley, means for yieldingly holding said bro lie members together, and means operated by the rising movement of said roll for separating said brake members.

6. The combination with a frame, of a pair of levers 't'ulcrtuned thereon, a pair of boxings carried by said levers, a roll journaled in said boxings, a plate connected with one of said levers and having an outwardly extending :u'n'n an upright connected with said arm, a threaded rod swiveled in said upright, a pair of brake members connected at their lower ends with said threaded rod, a band wheel connected with Said roll and being mounted between said brake members, a threaded rod connected with the upper end of one of said brake members and extending through the upper end of the other of said brake members, a hand wheel adjustably mounted on said threaded rod, a spring surrounding said threaded rod between the hand wheel and one of said brake members, a lever mounted on one of said brake members and having an anti-friction roller-engaging the other of suit! brake members, an adjusting screw fixed in the path of said lever, a turn buckle connected with each of said first mentioned levers a transversely extending rod connected with both of said turn buckles,

and a counter-weight lever connected with said transversely extending rod and having an adjustable counterweight thereon. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. EDNA G. ROBESON. Witnesses:

GRAon Ronnn'rson, WM. N. 'DirVAL. t 

